The American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Bioengineering Division hosts the annual Summer Bioengineering Conference with the general aim of providing a forum for bioengineering researchers and educators to present and discuss current trends in bioengineering over a wide range of subtopics. The uniting theme of the conference is biomechanics, encompassing molecular to tissue and organism-level approaches. The 2008 Summer Bioengineering Conference, to be held June 25 - 29 in Marco Island, Florida, will be the 10th installment of this conference, and will feature two invited speakers, numerous workshops, podium sessions, poster sessions, a sponsor/exhibitor area, career fair, and specially highlighted student paper competitions at the BS, MS, and PhD levels. Student participation at this meeting has historically been excellent. Over half of the attendee population at the 2007 conference was students. Our Specific Aim is to maintain or increase student participation through a separate Call for Papers, and by reducing registration fees by $100 for 350 students. A distinguishing feature of this conference is its relaxed atmosphere, promoted through our venue selection, casual dress, and some unscheduled time to permit informal interactions and exchange of ideas among new and experienced participants. By judicious selection of keynote speakers and workshops, we will offer students opportunities to experience emerging biomedical technologies that apply across disciplines. [unreadable] [unreadable] PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE STATEMENT (provided by applicant): The ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference brings together researchers and educators from a wide variety of biomechanics disciplines to share research progress and stimulate new developments. Topics range from musculoskeletal to cardiovascular and include studies that go down to the cellular and molecular level. A strong component of this conference is the emphasis on student participation, including specific oral and poster sessions, and encouragement of formal and informal interaction with more senior researchers. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]